The Chinese military has ramped up its combat-readiness as its air force prepared for potential US bomber raids. Recent air defence drills over the South China Sea saw Chinese pilots simulate a response to “two unauthorised aircraft entering China’s airspace”. Footage of the drill showed Chinese pilots ordering the “foreign plane” in English to “leave immediately, or be intercepted”.
State media said: “In cooperation with a radar station based on an island, a Chinese air force pilot taking part in the exercise gave the unidentified aircraft a radio warning saying it should leave.”
This follows a range of other military exercisest this week, including simulated raids and mid-air refuelling.
Three of China’s five main military regions mounted air combat readiness exercises amid rising tensions with the United States in the disputed maritime area.
The exercise lasted more than 10 hours and also involved mid-air refuelling, according to state officials, without saying when the drill took place.